How to Mend an Archeologist's Broken Heart
by spacegypsy1
Summary: Daniel learns that not choosing love can as easily lead to a broken heart as choosing and losing love.


How to Mend an Archeologist's Broken Heart

spacegypsy1

Daniel learns that not choosing love can as easily lead to a broken heart as choosing and losing love.

~0i0~

Mitchell, P-90 pointed off across the low meadow, tried to ignore Daniel.

"... don't you think so?"

"Ah, yeah, Jackson, it's weird for sure."

"I can't believe it."

"It's real Jackson," Mitchell took a few steps forward, gun raised and ready, his attention on the field. "It's been real for two months, so drop it."

Daniel was still on the last stone step by the Stargate, his back to Mitchell and scanning the area for any sign of trouble. "Right. Sorry. You're right."

Teal'c trotted down the hill coming to join them. "Colonel Mitchell, all is clear leading into the township. Major McKinney is over the hill keeping watch. He will radio if something occurs."

"What does he know? He's a... a... Rocket Scientist! Who the hell becomes a Rocket Scientist!" Daniel griped.

"Yeah," Mitchell laughed, "with two years combat in Iraq and three years on SG-17, smack in the middle of that little Ori confrontation we had. We're a team, Jackson, it's temporary anyway, so stuff it."

"Okay, fine, let's move." Daniel took the point.

"Well, yes sir, Mr. Suddenly In Charge." Watching Daniel take off Mitchell sidled up to Teal'c, speaking low. "If he was so stuck on her why didn't he tell her?"

"Perhaps Daniel Jackson is not as smart as we once thought."

Chuckling, Mitchell slapped Teal'c on the back and took out after Daniel.

With an almost imperceptible lift of a brow, Teal'c moved forward bringing up the rear.

~0i0~

It started with all the flowers, followed by candy and small presents, small but expensive.

Things escalated when after weeks he finally spoke up in a fit of jealousy and told her to move all her crap out of his office because he didn't have space to work much less think, and to tell her boyfriend to stop sending them to HIS office.

It wouldn't have been so bad if Landry hadn't moved him into a new and larger office after she returned from Ba'al's extraction. Then the General officially put her in there making it _their_ office.

He liked his old office. This one was way too big for his taste, although, if he were being honest he had lots of storage space and tons more shelves and tables for his artifacts. And, really, if it wasn't for all the crap that hot shot was sending her, it was pleasant to look up and see her across the room. That is, when she wasn't looking.

~0i0~

Unfortunately, Vala had misinterpreted his reason for being such a grump. After dishing out a small fortune to send herself everything she could think of to make him jealous she missed the event altogether. All she heard was anger and she'd walked out without a second glance and never came back. Oh, he saw her all the time, of course on missions, and team meetings, and even team meals. But she no longer loitered in _his_ office, or assisted him with his work.

And then suddenly, she was gone – loaned out to SG-11.

Matters worsened, when Daryl Martin, the CO of SG-8, had moved in like a wolf after a new born lamb and asked her out. He'd only discovered who her secret lover was when Martin and Vala stumbled in late one evening and laughing, walked right past _his and Vala's_ office.

Of course later that week he'd heard the rumors that Vala had, in the middle of the mess hall, punched Colonel Martin in the nose for suggesting she was frigid. Frigid? Vala?

That started his mind to digging. He was after all trained to dig up facts hidden in the past.

"Jackson!"

Daniel flinched at the abrupt and unexpected interruption to his internal conflict where he'd berate Vala as fickle with one thought and worry that he'd let go of something special in the next.

"Sorry man, didn't mean to startle you. You're sure jumpy these days. I know we just got back from 'planet boring', but me and the big guy are going for Szechuan in about an hour, you game?"

"Ah," Daniel slammed the book he'd been viewing shut. "Not tonight, I need to work."

"Sure. See ya tomorrow." Cam grinned and left quickly.

Taking off his glasses Daniel rubbed his tired eyes. He hadn't been sleeping much and found himself many late nights or early mornings standing at his open door staring across the hall towards Vala's quarters. She'd been gone so much lately, he'd rarely even seen her.

If he added up all of it, it did seem that she really cared for him. How had he totally missed the signs? Sam kept telling him Vala had invented her new beau to make him jealous. And it worked but somehow the whole thing got twisted.

Daniel rose, deciding to try to get to bed early and get some much needed sleep. Hiding the ancient tome he'd acquired in a recent and private trade on PTY-908 with what little written history he could find on Qetesh, he sighed despondently.

Halfway to his quarters he pivoted and took off in the opposite direction. He hadn't eaten all day. Maybe he needed to snap out of this. Maybe he would meet the guys for dinner.

~0i0~

"Okay, princess, we're on. I did my duty and invited him and waited for the 'I gotta work'. Meet us top side. The big guy's driving his new big truck."

"Good, I'm starving. I'm on my way." Vala had curled her hair, put on her new lipstick. Dressed in her new black jeans and electric blue sweater. She wasn't really 'happy' _he_ wasn't going, it's just that she missed her other friends too. Just in case she'd dressed up a bit all the while knowing he'd probably decline.

This morning Mitchell had finished her transfer papers to rejoin the team since SG-11's Major Cardile would return from maternity leave next week. Vala was more than ready to return to her team, though maybe a bit nervous having to spend every day with Daniel.

Not to worry, she was sure he'd get over it, and they'd yet again end up as friendly co-workers and teammates. She sighed despairingly. Surely she was ready to move on. Find someone. Run screaming through the 'Gate and go back to being her old self. Something! Anything to take this ache out of her heart.

Vala Mal Doran did not give up on what she wanted. At least she didn't used to give up. She wanted Daniel. But surely she could get past that. Yes! Yes she could. Friends and co-workers, she supposed, would have to do.

Her step lightened as she joined Mitchell and Teal'c, hooking her arms through theirs as they made their way to the truck.

~0i0~

"Thirty minute wait for a table. How 'bout the bar?" Mitchell didn't wait for an answer and lead the way.

"Lovely idea. Can I sit next to that handsome creature over there. That's Colonel something or the other, I've been wanting to meet him. He looks just like..."

"Denzel Washington." Both Teal'c and Mitchell said in unison.

"Oh, so you noticed?" Vala rushed to take a seat by the gentleman she'd admired.

Mitchell sat next to her and leaned in to whisper, "No, we didn't notice, but every female on base talks about him."

"Hmm, I hadn't heard about that. Does he have a girlfriend?"

"Not advertised." Mitchell stated, indifferently.

"Boyfriend?" Vala asked quietly. "And his name, isn't it also Washington?"

"Unknown as to his dating habits. His name is..."

"Colonel Mitchell." The man in question spoke. "Good to see you. And this must be the famous Vala Mal Doran?"

"The one and only. Vala, meet Colonel Washington Marshall, better known as Wash. SG-6's new leader."

Wash turned and smiled at her and Vala felt that little tinge of delight. Maybe this letting go of Daniel thing wasn't going to be so bad after all. Maybe. Just Maybe.

"Teal'c," Wash nodded towards the Jaffa in greeting. "Let me buy the first round, guys. I'm on the list for a table, should be soon, so care to join me?"

"Will there be room?" Vala asked, smiling up at him.

"There will always be room for a beautiful woman."

~0i0~

"Vala, the scuttlebutt is you're a free agent, that right?" Wash, who had taken a seat at the table next to the former space pirate, waited on her reply with a broad smile.

Her head snapped further around towards him and she look remarkably like the proverbial doe in headlights.

Mitchell laughed, "I can see her gears turning trying to upload and rearrange words to figure out scuttlebutt and free agent in context. Vala, he means are you in a relationship with anyone?"

"Not." Her response was shortened from her thought. _Unfortunately not. _That set her to thinking that maybe, just maybe she wasn't ready to quit her pursuance of a certain archeologist. _How very disturbing._

"Good. Would you have dinner with me? Tomorrow night? You're choice of restaurant."

"Oh no, I mean yes I'll have dinner with you, but I can't pick the place. I can't pick anything. My picker is broken."

It was Wash's turn to try and understand her meaning. He failed, still he was happy she accepted his invitation. "Ah, okay. It's a date. Should I stop by your quarters tomorrow night, say around 1900 hours? I understand you live on base full time."

Vala counted on her fingers. "Yes to the time, and yes to I live in the mold hole full time, that's why I'm pale and look like a Gumby."

"Zombie." Teal'c clarified, adding, "and mole hole."

"You'll get used to that." Mitchell added digging into his dinner and refraining from mentioning that one, Vala mixed up words more frequently when she was nervous and/or unsure and two, he'd noticed Daniel enter, then leave just moments ago. _This is gonna get mighty interesting._

~0i0~

Vala chose to wear a simple black dress, stiletto heels, black with straps criss crossed up her ankles and she clutched a glittery black envelope purse. Nothing like a first date to make a woman feel like dressing up. And nothing like a first date that's not with Daniel to make her feel like crying.

Wash came to her door and as she left her gaze flicked across the hall, unfortunately there was no sign of Daniel. What did she expect? Most likely he was in his office with his artifacts. She sighed, then looked up at her date and plastered a fake smile on her face.

~0i0~

Heels slung over her shoulder dangling from her fingers Vala sauntered down the corridor. She'd insisted Wash not walk her to her door. It'd been hard to resist detouring past Daniel's office and stopping in to say hi. She missed him. Looking down she continued to her quarters.

"Hey."

Head snapping up Vala halted mere inches from Daniel who stood in the hallway, halfway between their quarters, legs spread and hands deep in his pockets.

"Oh. Hello."

"You're home early."

"Really?" She looked at her wrist and realized she wasn't wearing a watch.

"Yep." Daniel looked down to her bare toes, slowly raising his eyes up past her knees, to her trim waist and finally resting on her lovely gray eyes.

"What time is it?" Chewing on the side of her mouth Vala looked away from his handsome face.

Daniel took her hand. "About 11:00. I was just about to go the commissary. I forgot to eat today."

Looking at him with soft eyes, she murmured. "Oh, poor baby. I should have stopped by earlier to check on you. Ahm, well, we could go now and get something to eat. I'm starving."

"What? I thought you and... er... your...er... date went to dinner." Even as he spoke he turned tugging her towards the elevators.

"Well, you see," Vala said. "I couldn't really eat much. And though he is quite the catch I wasn't interested in catching him. I have another fish in mind."

Daniel let go of her hand and stopped.

Vala took few steps and halted. Left standing there in front of him, she stared ahead realizing she'd said too much and probably pissed him off. He remained silent behind her and after a short moment she turned slowly and cocking her head she wondered at his odd behavior.

Hands flat over his ears he flapped them open and closed all the while sucking his cheeks in between his teeth, his lips, squished in on the sides and puckered bow-like moved up and down, his eyes were wide and moved side to side.

Confused she watched him intently. Then suddenly, she saw it! He was doing a fish face. Her mouth quirked into a grin.

He moved closer, lips still moving fish-like. His brows rose with a slight attempt to waggle.

She raised a brow herself, then her gaze on his mouth inching ever closer Vala struggled to suck her cheeks in in the same fashion, failing quite comically.

Between his aching cheeks and trying to control a laugh Daniel wasn't able to hold the fish face any longer. Seeing as he was now hovering over her, he placed the lingering puckered lips on her wiggling unproductive lips.

And the kiss blossomed, igniting instantly into heated passion. Arms tangled. Right there in the middle of the corridor of the SGC Daniel and Vala let their mutual feelings feed the intensity.

"Whoa, what the hell?" Spotting Daniel and Vala Mitchell stopped suddenly as he stepped off the elevator and Teal'c knocked into him.

Grabbing his CO by the collar Teal'c held firm to keep Cam from falling face first to the floor. "Interesting." The Jaffa finally commented all but tossing the Colonel behind him. With a precision turn Teal'c, hand now on Cam's back, encouraged the man away from the scene.

"Damn, that's nothing but trouble." Cam mumbled swatting behind his back where Teal'c's hand still pushed.

"It has been very quiet since the end of the Ori, we could use some trouble, Colonel."

"Right. Okay. But I'm callin' Sam."

"Fair. I shall call O'Neill."

~END


End file.
